Colorado Water Conditions

Most any Colorado local will tell you to hit the river. It’s the pulse of the mountains, and whether you play on it, in it, or simply let its cadence wash everyday minutiae away, it’s the ultimate Rocky Mountain High.

59° F

Fishing Report

December 14, 2017

Matt Hunsinger, Colorado Fishing Manager

GUNNISON:Autumn is Here! The Gunnison River flows were helped this week due to a couple of nights of heavy rain. Flows are currently at 525 CFS. The Upper section of the river has become a raft floating section. Not as many hard boats have been going down as the flows decrease. The lower river near the lake has been fishing well, with a few fish still happy to eat a dry fly. The best fishing and floating has been between White Water Park and McCabe’s Landing. The hopper’s have been dwindling as the mornings are continuing to get cooler. Throwing a medium hopper to the bank will still productive, but the time to break out the big streamers has come! Chucking some meat along the banks has been very productive as large fish are coming out to find those last big meals before winter arrives. A great tactic is swinging 45 degrees downstream and letting the fly swing along cut banks. Then wait for flash and hold on! Baetis hatches have been frequent, and fish are looking for them. Using a generic Baetis nymph, emerger, or dun during the hatches are producing well. Fun fall fishing is here!!

Salmon remain plentiful in the Gunnison and East Rivers. Look for them in deep pools, runs, or sloughs. Also expect to find numerous anglers Look for them in deep pools in large schools. Throwing a worm or egg pattern can get looks. Soon enough we will have large Rainbows paired up with the Salmon. That should get fun!

TAYLOR RIVER: Our stretch of river on the Taylor continues to fish to fish well. Mid-day fishing has been good with afternoon and evening bite being more consistent. The morning bite has been very slow. I do not recommend fishing anytime before 10am. Water levels hold fast at 300cfs. Flows are still quite strong and caution needs to be taken for novice waders. We have continued to see some hatches between 12 pm and 2 pm. In this hatch, we have seen Baetis, a few Caddis Flies, a few mixed in May Flies, and spinners. Outside of hatch hours, throwing smaller indicators and dropping down nymphs is still producing great fish. In the evening, a Rusty Spinner fall continues, and is getting a lot of happy fish to the surface to eat dries. Throwing a #14 Rusty Spinner should do the trick to rising fish. Swinging soft hackle flies has been producing some very nice fish.

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